A gravitationally non-degenerate cosmological model with expanding and shearing viscous fluid in general relativity

The object of this paper is to investigate the behaviour of viscosity in a cosmological model, in which the coefficient of shear viscosity is assumed to be proportional to rate of expansion in the model. The behaviour of the model in the absence of shear viscosity is also discussed.     

High heat producing radioactive granites of malani igneous suite at northeast of Jodhpur,northwestern India

The Malani igneous suite, a terrain showing crustal formation as late as in Neoproterozoic, shows some pink and grey granites in the northeast of the desert city of Jodhpur, in northwestern, India. The average heat generation value of 15.925 HGU for these granites that is much higher than the average known value (3.8 HGU) for the continental crust has been reported here. The concentration of uranium determined is four times higher than the average continental crust. Thorium is still higher than U and K. The radioelement concentration (Ur) varies from 15.58 to 73.48 in the granites with an average of 45.671, clearly indicates a ‘hot crust’. Hence it is favourable for the formation of mineralization of HFS elements like, Nb, Ce, REE and U and Th, which need to be explored in the terrain as an economic deposit.     

Characterization of suspended sediment in Meltwater from Glaciers of Garhwal Himalaya

Glacierised basins are significant sources of sediments generated by glacial retreat. Estimation of suspended sediment transfer from glacierised basins is very important in reservoir planning for hydropower projects in Himalaya. The present study indicates that storage and release of sediment in proglacial streams may categorise the pattern of suspended sediment transfer from these basins. Assessment of suspended sediment concentration (SSC), suspended sediment load (SSL) and yield has been undertaken for Dunagiri Glacier basin located in Garhwal Himalaya (30^o33'20”N, 79^o53'36”E), and its results are compared with the Gangotri and Dokriani glaciers sharing close proximity. Out of the total drainage basin area, about 14.3 % of the area is glacierised. Data were collected for five ablation seasons (1984–1989, barring 1986). The mean daily SSCs for July, August and September were 333.9, 286.0 and 147.15 mg/l, respectively, indicating highest concentration of mean daily suspended sediment in July followed by August. SSL trends were estimated to be 93.0, 57.0 and 21.3 tonnes. About 59% of the total SSL of the melt period was transported during the months of August and September. Sediment yield for the study basin was computed to be 296.3 t km^?2 yr ^?1. It is observed that the cumulative proportion of SSC precedes the discharge throughout the melt season except in the year 1987. Release of SSL in terms of total load is less in the early part of melt season than in the later stage as compared to that of discharge. Diurnal variations in SSC reach their maximum at 2400 h, and therefore, SSC was found to be high during night (2000–0400 h). There was a good relationship between SSC and SSL with discharge for the ablation seasons (1988 and 1989). Mean monthly SSC and mean monthly SSL provide a good exponentional relationship with mean monthly temperature. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stratigraphy and correlation of Mesoproterozoic rocks associated with Mohar cauldron,Shivpuri district,Madhya Pradesh

A circular structure, termed as cauldron of volcanic origin, was located near Mohar village in Shivpuri district (M.P.) in the year 2000. Subsequently, the same structure was called as Dhala structure of impact origin. There may be debate over the origin and evolution of this circular structure, but it is characterized by a unique lithological set-up within the Bundelkhand craton. The circular structure is defined by annular disposition of igneous and sedimentary rocks. This includes a set of felsic volcanic rocks and associated breccias named as Mohar Formation, exposed in the outer rim of the circular structure. The inner part of the circular structure has sedimentary sequence, termed as Dhala Formation.The field relations indicate that the Mohar and Dhala foarmations are younger than Bundelkhand granitoid complex but older than Kaimur Group. This period in Indian stratigraphy corresponds to Semri Group which consists of Porcellanite Formation, the rocks of which have formed due to deposition of volcanic ash.The geochronological data and field relations between different litho-units indicate that the Mohar volcanism which generated large volume of volcanic ash was a possible source for the formation of Porcellanite Formation. The deposition of sedimentary sequence in main Vindhyan basin was continued, whereas the volcanic activity in Mohar area continued till H ≈ 1.0 Ga. Since, acid volcanic activity has been reported in different parts of the world at H ≈ 1.0 Ga., it is possible that the Mohar acid volcanic activity is not an isolated event; instead it may be a part of global volcanic activities around H ≈ 1.0 Ga.     

Tectonometamorphic Evolution of Jutulsessen,Gjelsvikfjella, cDML,East Antarctica

The Jutulsessen area, can provide a vital clue to the supercontinent assembly of Gondwana Land as it is situated within the Circum East Antarctic Mobile Belt just east of the Penksockett rift marking the divide between the central Dronning Maud Land from the Western Dronning Maud Land. This landmass is dominated by migmatitic quartzo-feldspathic rocks intruded by syn to post-tectonic granites. The work highlights the data from western part cDML area with a view to arrive at a more comprehensive model for the cDML and subsequently to the super continent assembly. Granitic and migmatitic gneisses comprising of amphibolitic and biotite rich enclaves. The gneisses show variations from quartzo-felspathic gneiss to amphibolitic gneiss. The area has witnessed complex geological history involving at different deformational episodes with concomitant metamorphism. The pervasive dominant foliation trends NW-SE with shallow to medium dips towards SW. In the Stabben area, a nonfoliated intrusive syenite-gabbro pluton limits the gneissic exposures. Compositionally, the orthogneisses plot in the monzogranitegranodiorite field where as the mafic dykes/enclaves plot in the basalt-andesite-rhyodacite field. The bulk geochemical characteristics suggest significant crustal contamination. Garnet-biotite Fe-Mg exchange thermometry gives peak metamorphic temperature of 483° C for the gneisses and 628° C for the dioritic enclave within gneisses. A peak metamorphic grade of upper amphibolite to granulite facies is deduced from the mineral assemblages. Widespread anatexis has led to extensive occurrence of migmatites in the area. Recent geochronological studies assign an age of 1170 Ma to 970 Ma for the migmatites/gneisses and an emplacement age of 501 Ma for the Stabben gabbro and syenite. The discriminant plots of the Jutulsessen rocks indicate diverse origin ranging from pre-plate collision to post-collision orogenic tectonic setting. The mafic enclaves/dykes show ocean island arc to MORB affinities. Voluminous addition of juvenile crust during the Pan-African orogeny strongly overprints earlier structures.     

Compositional variation in magma through early neogene in the Northeast Indian Ocean: A testimony from glass shards

We report unusual occurrence of glass shards with diverse morphologies and compositions in the volcanic ash associated with the early Neogene marine stratigraphic succession (early Miocene to early middle Miocene) of Andaman-Nicobar Islands, Northeast Indian Ocean. These small, ash-size (200 to 800 μm) broken pieces of glass shards when viewed under Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), represent distinctive — platy, sickle, bicuspate, concentric, angular, horn shape and slivers with broken angular bubble wall — morphologies. Glass shards are colourless. But, a few are grey or reddish-brown, indicate high Fe content. Chilled, juvenile, angular and blocky shards show fragments of highly viscous, silicic magma. Spindle and ribbon-shape shards form from a low viscosity basalt and rhyolite. Electron Probe Micro Analyzer (EPMA) was used to measure low concentration variations of major oxides within individual amorphous silicate solid glass shards whose disordered atomic structure is that of a liquid derived from a silicate melt. Major elemental chemistry of early Miocene glass shards from Colebrook island show low silica, alkalis, high FeO_(T) MgO and CaO, whereas, early middle Miocene glass shards from Inglis island show high silica, alkalis, low FeO_(T), MgO and CaO contents. These data-sets when plotted on ternary TotalAlkali-Silica and Na₂O+K₂O-MgO-FeO_(T) diagrams show that their data plots lie within the basaltic-andesite, tephri-phonolite, rhyolite and trachyte fields. These glass shards which were present in the provenance, formed by explosive eruption of lavas, ranging in composition from basalt to rhyolite with andesite/ basalt-andesite being the most common magma types erupted sub-areally, implying island arc type of tectono-magmatic setting for the formation of these lavas. However, more evolutionary variant rhyolite was most likely formed by crystal fractionation.     

Mineral chemistry of clays associated with the Jhilmili intertrappean bed in the eastern Deccan volcanic province: Palaeoenvironmental inferences and KTB transition

Jhilmili intertrappean bed (～13 m thick) attains its significance with the recent discovery of brackish water ostrocod and planktonic foraminifera fossils (Keller et al. 2009; Khosala et al. 2009). Present XRD data revealed abundance of montmorillonite > montmorillonite/chlorite mixed layer > palygorskite in five physically distinct lithounits namely: (a) lower chocolate brown siltstone with green patches, followed by (b) brick red clayey siltstone, (c) greenish grey clay, (d) yellowish brown clay and (e) uppermost olive grey to dark brown silt layers in the successionrepresent higher weathering indices and annual precipitation, reflecting cyclic, but longer spells of weathering. Occurrence of M/C mixed layer with the smectite in Jhilmili area is suggestive of their derivation from the later, whilst montmorillonite to palygorskite transformation is ascribed to the drastic changes in the humid to arid climate, where former served as a source of Al and some of the Si and Mg ions for the later. Jhilmili and Anjar clays represent similar charge occupancies at different sites, but later contains relatively higher amount of palygorskite, formed in the arid environment. Majority of the trace elemental data plots for Jhilmili clays lie within the upper and lower limits of infra (Lametas)-/inter-trappeans clays. The continuous release of Cu throughout the succession (mainly in the palygorskite dominated clays) indicates oxidizing conditions. PAAS normalized REE data plots for these clays show progressive enrichment in the HREE contents in the lower part, but, upper part of the succession is marked by positive cerium anomaly, reflecting oxidizing conditions prevailed at the later stage of the succession. These conditions continued, but, were not conducive to HREE enrichment as evidenced by their depletion in the upper part of the succession. The Ce anomaly observed in the middle part of the succession is similar to that form by continental weathering of the basalt, ascribed to Ce precipitation in the oxic environment, thus suggestive of drastic changes in the oxidizing conditions. Thermodynamic data-sets for Jhilmili clays show I/S mixed layer and celadonite compositions, whereas, Jabalpur infra-/inter-trappean clays correspond to Mg smectites and celadonite end members, thus, representing compositional commonality with those of the other clays derived from the continental weathering of basalt protolith. Jhilmili smectites and smectite-chlorite mixtures show compositional similarity with the dioctahedral and trioctahedral smectites and the smectites formed at 250°C, having compositions between trioctahedral smectite and chlorite, thus, assigning high temperatures for their formation, where the heat required for the formation of these clays was possibly derived from the hydrothermal fluids, associated with the Deccan volcanism.     

Integrated approach for demarcating the fracture zone for well site location : A case study near Gumla and Lohardaga,Bihar

In recent years satellite remote sensing techniques have greatly aided identification of fractures/joints/faults in connection with groundwater exploration. However, due to some constraints in filtering out the type of fracture i.e. shear fracture, tensional fracture, mineralised fracture etc. as to their “open or closed” nature from groundwater aspects, there is need of adding geophysical survey, particularly resistivity survey to further enhance the accuracy, and hence minimise drilling failures. The area under study is a part of Ranchi plateau and lithologically comprising of granite-gneiss. The present paper lays stress on an integrated approach for localising well sites through satellite data analysis and resistivity profiling along with vertical electrical sounding which is based on fracture patterns. With this combined effort i.e. firstly considering the surfacial features like drainage, geomorpho-logy, lithology and lineaments, and secondly taking into account geophysical survey aspects, i.e. depth and thickness of fracture zone, lateral extent, different layer parameter, etc., fairly accurate results are achieved. In the presnt study this type of an integrated survey has been carried out in Lohardaga and Gumla districts in Bihar, the results of which are highlighted in the paper.     

Nonlinear response of single piles under lateral inertial and seismic loads

A macroscopic model that consists of distributed hysteretic springs and frequency dependent -pots is utilized to model the lateral soil reaction and a practical method based on one-dimensional finite element formulation is developed to compute the nonlinear response of single piles under dynamic lateral loads. The model is physically motivated, adequate for cohesive and cohesionless soils, and involves standard geotechnical parameters. Only two parameters have to be calibrated by fitting experimental data. Hysteretic and radiation damping are modeled realistically within the practical range of amplitudes and frequencies. The model is calibrated and validated against five well instrumented full-scale experiments and typical values for the range of the model-parameters are provided. Subsequently, the developed model is utilized to study the nonlinear seismic response of single piles. Finally, the developed method and the calibrated model are used to predict the inertial and seismic response of one of the piles used in the foundation of the Ohba bridge near Tokyo, Japan.